Integrated energy generating damper

• US 9,689,382 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
• Inventors: Moen, Evan, Schneider, Johannes, Wendell, Ross J., Anderson, Zackary Martin, Tucker, Clive, Jackowski, Zachary J., Morton, Sean C.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZARROLI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US14/681,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20150316039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/265 hydraulic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/14 having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/08 Characteristics of fluid dampers adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/252 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 1/103 the two members rotating simultaneously around their respective axes
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 9/002 the piston oscillating around a fixed axis
• CPC Class Codes: F03C 1/26 adapted for special use or combined with apparatus driven thereby
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine

Abstract

A linear energy harvesting device that includes a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when it is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor drives an electric generator that produces electricity. Both the motor and generator are central to the device housing. Exemplary configurations are disclosed such as monotube, twin-tube, tri-tube and rotary based designs that each incorporates an integrated energy harvesting apparatus. By varying the electrical characteristics on an internal generator, the kinematic characteristics of the energy harvesting apparatus can be dynamically altered. In another mode, the apparatus can be used as an actuator to create linear movement. Applications include vehicle suspension systems (to act as the primary damper component), railcar bogie dampers, or industrial applications such as machinery dampers and wave energy harvesters, and electro-hydraulic actuators.

Claims

1. An active suspension comprising:

a damper assembly including;

a first housing;

a piston, slidably received in the first housing, with a first side and a second side, wherein a piston rod is attached to the second side of the piston;

a second housing;

a hydraulic motor/pump with a first port and a second port;

an electric motor/generator operatively coupled to the hydraulic motor/pump, wherein the hydraulic motor/pump and at least a portion of the electric motor/generator are at least partially enclosed in the second housing;

a first volume within the first housing that is at least partially filled with hydraulic fluid, and wherein during at least one mode of operation the first volume receives fluid from the hydraulic motor/pump;

a second volume; and

a valve that controls at least a portion of hydraulic fluid flow between one of the first volume and the hydraulic motor/pump, and the first volume and the second volume;

wherein the first housing and the second housing are attached to form a single hydraulically self-contained unit.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the electric motor/generator wherein the controller controls the electric motor/generator to produce at least one of improved ride comfort and improved terrain traversal characteristics.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the electric motor generator is an electric motor and the hydraulic motor/pump is a hydraulic pump.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an accumulator in bi-directional fluid communication with at least one of the first volume, the second volume, and at least one of the first port and the second port of the hydraulic motor/pump.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first volume is bounded in part by the first side of the piston and the second volume is in the second housing and bounded in part by the second side of the piston.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the valve is one of a blow-off valve and a bypass valve that selectively permits a quantity of hydraulic fluid to flow between the first volume and the second system volume without flowing through the hydraulic motor/pump.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first port is in fluid communication with the first volume and the second port is in fluid communication with the second volume.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein there is direct fluid communication between at least one of the first port of the hydraulic motor/pump and the first volume and the second port of the hydraulic motor/pump and the second volume.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve is one of a blow-off valve, a check valve, a pressure controlled valve, and an electrically controlled valve.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein in at least one operating mode the hydraulic motor/pump is operated as a pump and the electric motor/generator is operated as an electric motor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first housing contains a quantity of hydraulic fluid.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic motor/pump varies speed in at least one mode of operation.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the electric motor/generator, wherein the controller is at least partially powered by the generator in at least one operating mode.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller operatively couple to the electric motor/generator, wherein the controller controls fluid flow through the hydraulic motor/pump by controlling an electrical characteristic of the electric motor/generator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electrical characteristic is an electromotive force of the electric motor/generator.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the electrical characteristic is an impedance applied to terminals of the electric motor/generator.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein during at least one operating mode fluid flows through the valve and the valve is positioned in parallel or in series with the hydraulic motor/pump.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the electric motor/generator to operate the hydraulic motor/pump to provide a damping force to the piston.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein in at least one operating mode the hydraulic motor/pump operates at a maximum speed and the maximum speed is limited by the valve.

20. A linear actuator system comprising:

a hydraulic motor/pump comprising a first port and a second port;

an electric motor/generator operatively coupled to the hydraulic motor/pump;

a first housing that at least partially encloses the hydraulic motor/pump and the electric motor/generator;

a second housing that slidably receives a piston with a first side and a second side wherein a piston rod is attached to the second side of the piston, wherein the piston divides at least a portion of the second housing into a first volume and a second volume;

a first flow path between the first volume and the second volume that passes through the first port and the second port of the hydraulic motor/pump;

a second flow path between the first volume and the second volume that bypasses the hydraulic motor/pump;

a valve controlling flow through at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path;

wherein the first housing and the second housing are attached to form a single hydraulically self-contained unit, and wherein the electric motor/generator and the hydraulic motor/pump cooperate to apply one of a damping force on the piston and an active force on the piston.

21. A method of operating an actuator of an active suspension system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

controlling an electric motor/generator operatively coupled to a hydraulic motor/pump to drive the hydraulic motor/pump in a first operating mode at a first speed to produce a differential pressure on a piston, wherein the electric motor/generator and the hydraulic motor/pump are at least partially contained in a first housing, and the piston is slidably received in a second housing, wherein the first housing and the second housing are attached to form a single hydraulically self-contained unit;

controlling the electric motor/generator in a second operating mode at a second speed; and

operating a valve to control at least one pressure in the self-contained unit in at least one operating mode.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the valve is a blow-off valve.